Clasp or fastener.



PATENTBD DEC. 12

0. E. SMITH.

CLASP OR FASTENBR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11

W5 mm 6 V m i fl QW w m. m y m wW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLASP OR FASTENER- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed February 11, 1905. Serial 1%. 245.211.

To all whom it ntwy concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENcE E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, Hartford county, Connecticut, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Clasps or Fasteners, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. I

My invention relates to fasteners, and particularly to that class offasteners comprising two members which are hooked together and securedagainst accidental disengagement.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effectivearrangement of parts whereby the article may be economically and rapidlyproduced and easily and quickly operated.

- While the invention has particular utility in connection with beltsand straps, it is by no means limited to this special use, but may beemployed whenever a coupling device is needed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the two membersof my fastening device as they appear when hooked. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section showing the members in the unlocked position readyfor disengagement. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the members detached.Fig. t is a crosssection on the line X X, Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrow.

The fastening device will be seen to comprise two members, one of whichwill for convenience be termed the hook member and the other the eyemember. The hook member is provided with a loop A, to which may besecured the fastening-strap. Obviously the form of this loop isimmaterial. Projecting forwardly of the loop A is the body B, whichcarries a rearwardly-extending hook bill C, having at or near itsforward side a locking enlargement D, preferably round or ball-like. Inthe specific form shown in the drawings this enlargement is connected tothe body B by means of a contracted neck. The eye member comprises aloop portion A, the function of which corresponds to the function of theloop portion A of the hook member. The eye portion may be formed ofwire, bent to form the loop A and the side bars E E and the hook ends FF. These book ends lie against or closely adjacent to one another, andthe side bars intermediate the book ends D and the loop A are brought soclose together as to form apassage of less diameter than the diameter ofthe ball-like enlargement D of the hook member. The hook ends F F arearranged in the same plane and when the parts are assembled engageunderneath the bill C, while the ball-like enlargement D stands abovethe plane of the side arms E E, so that the two members will be heldagainst accidental disengagement. As will be seen upon reference to Fig.2, the eye member shown at an angle relatively to the hook member is notyet inthefinal position. By pressing the eye member downinto theposition indicated in dotted lines the side barsE E will spring apart toallow the ball-like head Dto pass through, whereupon they will springtogether underneath the head, and thus securely and effectively hold theparts in said engaged position." In Fig. 4 it will be seen how the sidebars adjacent the head D engage underneath the same and preventaccidental detachment. This action occurs because normally the space between the side arms E E adjacent to the enlargement D is slightly lessthan the greatest diameter of said enlargement. This arrangement ofparts is particularly advantageous for a variety of reasons. Itsubstantially reduces the cost of production and provides two deviceswhich have no separated or free ends which are liable to becomeentangled with companion parts during the manufacture or use of thesame.

That I claim is 1. In a clasp in combination, two cooperative detachablemembers, a hook borne by one of said members projecting rearwardly, alooking enlargement forward of said hook, the other member comprisingyieldingside arms having hooked extremities, said hooks turning towardeachother and arranged to engage the hooked portion of the firstmentioned member, the space between said side arms being normally lessthan the width of the looking enlargement.

2. In a clasp in combination, two cooperative detachable members, one ofsaid members having a broad rearwardly-projecting hook and a lockingenlargement carried forwardly of said hook and in line therewith, theother member including two yielding side arms and having hookedextremities arranged to cooperate with the hooked portion of thefirstmentioned member, said side arms adjacent to the lockingenlargement being arranged to engage on opposite sides thereof andunderneath the same when the parts are assembled.

3. The combination of a member having a rearwardly-projectingretaining-bill and a locking enlargement adjacent thereto and for 5. Ahook member of a hook-and-eye clasp, comprising, in asingle piece ofmetal, a body.

portion, means at its rear end for fastening the hook member to agarment or other object, a centrally-disposed hook proper adapted toengage with the eye member of said clasp, and a locking head forward ofsaid hook proper consisting of an enlargement over which the sidemembers of the said eye must be sprung in order to effect an engagementof the two members of the said clasp, the said enlargement connectedwith the body of said hook member by a contracted neck, allsubstantially as described.

6. In a hook-and-eye clasp, in combination, a hook member comprising abody portion having a centrally-disposed hook proper elevated above theplane of said body portion, means at its rear end for being attached toa garment, and at its forward end a lockinghead elevated above the planeof said body portion and consisting of an enlargement connected with thesaid body portion by a contracted neck, of an eye member consisting of asingle length of resilient wire bent into loop form, theends of'the wiremeeting in one end ofsaid loop, one end of the loop adapted to serve asthe bow proper of said eye to engage the hook proper, the side arms ofsaid eye adapted to engage with the locking-head, all substantially asset forth.

Signed at New Britain, Connecticut, this 9th day of February, 1905.

CLARENCE E. SMITH. Witnesses:

GEORGE N. BEARDSLEY, H. A. JoHNsoN.

